American Scientists David Julius And Ardem Patapoutian Win 2021 Nobel Prize For Medicine
Julius (L) and Patapoutian (R) won the Nobel Prize for their independent discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch which could pave the way for new pain-killers.
Julius is a Professor at University of California, San Francisco. His research was on the skin's sense of temperature based on how certain cells react to capsaicin.
Image: University of California San Francisco
Julius' work has focused on how human bodies sense heat, cold and chemical irritants which can help in pain relief.
Image: University of California San Francisco
Patapoutian is a Professor at Scripps Research, La Jolla, California. Patapoutian discovered the cellular mechanism which translates a physical force on human skin into an electric nerve signal.
Image: BBVA Foundation
Patapoutian and his colleagues discovered two ion channels, PIEZO1 and PIEZO2, that are necessary for the cells to respond to mechanical stimuli.